Background & Aims: The prevalence of hospital infections, especially of bacterial origin, is increasing and uncontrollable in many countries. Controlling them, because of their damage to the health and economy, is essential. Therefore, numerous efforts have been made to find new antibiotics as suitable alternatives to current ones. This study aimed to investigate the antibacterial activity of date kernel extract against several hospital pathogens. Materials and Methods: Acetone extract of Mozafati date kernel from Bam city was prepared by immersion method and its antibacterial effects on hospital pathogens such as Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella enterica, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter baumannii were investigated by the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC), and well diffusion method. Then, the structure of the obtained extract was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Results: The MIC was observed at 400 mg/mL of extract for S. aureus bacteria. In addition, the MBC of date kernel extract was 500 mg/ mL for the tested bacteria, except for A. baumannii, where a decreasing trend was detected. The antibacterial activity was determined by the well diffusion method against all bacteria, and the greatest activity was observed against S. aureus with a growth inhibition zone diameter of 31 mm. The HPLC analysis showed the presence of 7 different structures, of which rutin was the most abundant. Conclusion: This study indicates the high antibacterial effect of acetone extract of date kernel on the tested bacteria; however, further studies should be conducted on this plant as a new and powerful antibacterial agent.
Background & Aims: Medical geology is an emerging branch of geological sciences, which examines the relationship between geological findings and human and ecosystem health, as well as the effect of environmental factors and elements on the geographical distribution of diseases in the field of health and treatment. The aim of this research was to provide a comprehensive understanding of how geological factors and minerals affect public health outcomes. Materials and Methods: A total of 1561 publications including books and papers published from 1992 until 2024 were reviewed, 168 of which were chosen and 21 articles were mentioned. Results: Medical studies on patients showed that there is a direct relationship between minerals and diseases, which is caused by the lack of some minerals in the food chain, or the excessive presence of some of these substances in the food chain of people of different regions of the world. These minerals cause changes in the cellular and molecular structure, which can lead to the development of various diseases. Conclusion: It seems that in the future, with scientific investigations in the field of medical geology, important results can be achieved in the prevention of various diseases. It is obvious that the realization of this requires increased cooperation of medical, health, and earth science researchers and it can be an effective step towards improving the health of the society and preparing and producing new drugs and new treatment methods. It will be presented using this knowledge.
Background & Aims: Breast cancer is one of the major causes of death among women. In various studies, the effects of synthesized nanoparticles (NPs) on cancer cells have been measured. This investigation aimed to explore the cytotoxic effects of metal zirconium nanoparticles (ZrNPs) synthesized by aqueous extract of clover leaves (Trifolium repens L) on breast cancer cells. Materials and Methods: metal ZrNPs were synthesized utilizing the aqueous extract of clover leaves. Physical and chemical evaluation of the synthesized NPs was done by UV-Vis, EDS, SEM, and DLS analyses. The cytotoxic effects of ZrNPs on MDAMB-468 and HFF cell lines were investigated by the MTT assay and compared with those of Tamoxifen, a chemotherapy medication used to treat breast cancer. Results: The aqueous extract of clover was utilized as a reducing agent in the synthesis of ZrNPs. The size of ZrNPs was 29-81 nm, in irregular polygonal form, and star-shaped, and flower-like colonies were observed homogeneously. MTT test showed that ZrNPs inhibited the growth of MDA-MB-468 cells in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. The IC50 value calculated from the dose-response curve for the MDA-MB-468 cell line was 264.3 μg/mL. Conclusion: The aqueous clover extract showed a suitable ability with green synthesis of NPs. Considering the cytotoxic effects of ZrNPs on breast cancer cell lines, it can be used as an effective therapeutic agent to be examined and evaluated clinically to deal with cancers in future studies.
Background & Aims: Noise is one of the types of urban pollution that causes human annoyance. This study aimed at investigating noise pollution in residential areas under the influence of truck traffic in Ramshir in 2023. Materials and Methods: In this applied research, sound parameters were measured by a sound meter capable of measuring the minimum sound level, maximum sound level, equivalent continuous sound level (Leq), and sound pressure level (SPL) of sound parameters at 10 stations in the morning and at night with 3 repetitions. In addition, noise annoyance was determined in 100 people in residential areas exposed to urban noise using the ISO 15666 noise annoyance questionnaire. Measurements were performed over three months in two day and night shifts using a TES-1358C analyzer sound meter device (TES Company, Taiwan). The raw data were entered into SPSS 21 and Excel software and then categorized, and the necessary results were extracted, including the average of the data, as well as the maximum and the minimum of the data. Results: The results revealed that the average SPL was 88.25 dB during the daytime on Tawheed Street, so it had the highest measured sound level compared to other investigated areas. Further, the Leq was 82.17 dB at night in the Shariati area, which had a higher SPL than other areas. The highest Leq of the day was related to Naft Street Station, with an average value of 83.40 dB, while the lowest Leq value attributed to Damghani Street Station was measured with an average value of 71.41 dB. The highest Leq of night noise was related to Shariati Street Station, with an average value of 82.17 dB. The impact of truck noise was highly uncomfortable, uncomfortable, and slightly uncomfortable for 13%, 37%, and 36% of people, respectively. Conclusion: In general, in the range of 10 stations, the SPL and Leq were measured higher at night and day than the standards of the Iranian Environmental Organization and the Environmental Protection Agency (55 dB during the day and 45 dB at night for residential areas). According to the sum of the answers, the sound of the trucks in the intended city could hurt people. People are most dissatisfied with the sound of trucks in the morning and at night.
Background & Aims: The carbon footprint is one of the parameters that can be used to estimate the amount of pollution caused by carbon dioxide compounds. This research was conducted to evaluate and estimate the carbon footprint resulting from the carbon dioxide emissions of the Zahedan Gas Power Plant due to the consumption of fossil fuels and electricity production. Materials and Methods: Carbon dioxide was read directly in the vicinity of the exhaust chimneys. In each studied season (spring, summer, or autumn), carbon dioxide was measured with 3 repetitions. TESTO (model 350, Germany) was utilized to measure carbon dioxide gas. The carbon footprint was estimated and evaluated by the IPCC method. To calculate the per capita carbon footprint, the population of Zahedan was considered based on the last census in 2021, which was 770800 people. Results: The total carbon dioxide emissions in the spring and summer of 2021 were 15.22 and 9.41 ppm, respectively. It was 12.44 and 20.37 ppm in the spring and autumn of 2022, and 21.49 ppm in the summer of 2023. The highest per capita carbon dioxide emission and intensity of carbon dioxide emission (2240.89 and 288.73, respectively) were obtained from the consumption of oil and gas in the year 2021 for electricity generation in the Zahedan Gas Power Plant. Conclusion: Zahedan Power Plant has used oil and natural gas to produce electricity, and the consumption of natural gas was higher than that of oil gas in the two years under study. The amount of carbon dioxide emissions in 2021 from the consumption of natural gas was higher than that of oil gas. In addition, the amount of carbon dioxide emissions in 2021 was higher than in 2022. According to the results, carbon dioxide emissions increased in 2023 and 2022 compared to 2021.
